ADHD and Anxiety

Children with ADHD can have a range of problems. One common problem children with ADHD face is anxiety. There are many different types of anxiety problems, like worrying a lot or having strong fears. While all children have anxiety from time to time, some children have so much anxiety that they need help. These children may have an anxiety disorder. Children with an anxiety disorder and ADHD need special treatment. It is important that anxiety disorders are recognized when present. It can be difficult to spot an anxiety disorder, however. ADHD often looks different in children with and without anxiety. Children with anxiety problems are less hyperactive than children without anxiety problems. Below is some general information about anxiety disorders.

Types of Anxiety Disorders and brief summaries of each disorder:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Frequent worry about lots of different things.
• Panic Disorder: Episodes of extreme worry called panic attacks, which include pounding heart, shortness of breath, and/or a choking feel (among other symptoms).
• Social Phobia: Intense fear of social situations, like talking to people or preforming in front of others, that causes problems in a person's life.
• Specific Phobia: A strong fear of a certain thing, like spiders, that causes problems in a person's life.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Frequent unpleasant thoughts that pop into a person's head and often lead to specific behaviors (for example, hand washing) to make the person feel better.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Following a scary event (for example, a car crash), a person becomes anxious, has flashbacks or dreams about the event, and tries to avoid reminders of the event or block out their feelings. Historically, PTSD has been considered an anxiety disorder but now, in the new classification system, it is considered to a different type of disorder (but is still closely related).

How many children with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder?

• About 30% (3 out of 10 children)

Why is it important to identify anxiety disorders in children with ADHD?

• Compared to children only diagnosed with ADHD, children with ADHD and an anxiety disorder have more problems.
• Compared to children only diagnosed with ADHD, children with ADHD and anxiety may need different treatments for ADHD. These children may not respond to ADHD medications.

Challenges in identifying anxiety disorders:

• Many parents do not recognize when their children have anxiety problems.
• Anxiety problems can look like ADHD, or the other way around. A child may struggle to pay attention because of worry or because of ADHD.

How to help an anxious child:

• First, children with suspected anxiety problems need to be assessed by trained professionals
• Children with anxiety problems may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation training, and in some cases medication.